Deadly Impressions by Art Johnson is a complicated mystery. When heiress Stephanie Fick is kidnapped, but no ransom demand is sent, the LAPD hires cashiered LAPD detective, now PI, Arnold Blackburn to use his contacts on both sides of the law to try and rescue her. The FBI gets involved, in the person of one of Arnold’s old friends, FBI special Agent Chubbs Gonzales and his partner Chris Clark. The story takes many twists and turns, with plenty of action and the specter of art stolen by the Nazis before and during World War II figuring significantly in the kidnapping—if only Arnold and his comrades can determine how.

This is an interesting story that would make a good movie, but the book needs some work in the proofreading department. A number of grammatical errors are easy fixes, but the author also does a lot of head hopping, making it difficult to determine the principal character(s); at times it appears to be Arnold, but at others the focus is on Gonzales and Clark, who come in late in the story.

It’s an enjoyable read for mystery fans, in particular readers who like having actual historical events mixed in with a compelling plot—and the author gets good marks for plotting and pacing. Unfortunately, I can only give it three and half stars for overall quality, though.

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my unbiased review.